Baby's Breath
by Staphyloplasty
Summary: This is a fan-fiction for Caraigh M. O'Brien's Birthmarked trilogy. It starts where the last book leaves off at Gaia and Leon's wedding when it is suddenly interrupted. I would love any feedback you could give me! Thanks so much!
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

Gaia and Leon's wedding was on a perfect, sunny day. The sun shone brightly and flowers seemed to bloom just for them. Gaia hadn't been more happy in her whole life. But something itched at the back of her mind. She could feel a part of her missing. She  
was no longer able to have children. Mabrother Iris had taken that form her. Hatred, anger, and hurt burned inside her gut.

Leon reached over and grabbed her hand. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm alright," Gaia lied. She wasn't sure if she'd ever be alright, but today she would try her darnedest not to ruin everything.

By the look on Leon's face, he didn't buy it. He kept a hold of her hand while people greeted and congratulated them.

Plastering a smile on her face, Gaia greeted everyone and thanked them for coming. It took a while, but eventually, the line ended. Gaia let out a huge sigh, finding a place to sit.

A sudden realization hit Gaia. She's was married, to Leon. A smile crept onto her lips.

"HELP!"

A cry echoed through the Quad. Gaia hurried to where the sound had come from. A crowd had gathered on one of the southern streets out of the quad. In the center was a young woman, bruised and bleeding. Gaia took in the sight of the girl and horror struck  
her. The subtle widening of the hips, the strange girth of the girl's abdomen. She couldn't have been more than a month pregnant.

"Everybody get back!" Gaia shouted in order to part the crowd and get to the girl more easily.

"Help me please..." the girl begged.

"It's okay how much are you hurt? Is your baby okay?"

Perplexed, the girl asked, "How did you know?"

Gaia gave her a friendly smile."I'm a midwife."

Tears welled up in the girls doe brown eyes. "I don't know it's okay. I'm not hurt too badly."

"Everybody out of my way!" Gaia could hear Myrna's voice behind her.

"How badly is she hurt?" Myrna asked.

"Not too bad from what I can see, but this girl's pregnant. I need to examine her more closely to see if the baby is alright."

Myrna sighed. "We'll need someone to help get her to the hospital."

"No," the girl moaned. "I don't want to go to the hospital."

Myrna groaned.

Gaia rubbed the girl's arm, trying to sootheher. "Will you be alright to come to my home?" The girl nodded.

Looking around, Gaia spotted Phyro, her eldest brother. "Phyro, can you help me get this girl back to my house?"

Phyro looked at her. "Uh, sure." He reached down and scooped the girl into his arms. He got a confused look on his face.

"What?" Gaia asked.

"She's just surprisingly light, I guess."

They hurried down the streets as best they could to get to Gaia and Leon's home as soon as they could. Gaia wanted to make sure that the baby would be alright. She could feel her midwife instincts starting to kick in.

She instructed Phyro to put the girl on her bed so she could examine her. Gaia started working right away, feeling her abdomen and hips.

"So, uh, where's your husband?" Phyro asked.

The girl started weeping.

Gaia gave Phyro a stern look. "Martin!"

"Sorry, I didn't know!"

Soothing the girl, Gaia continued examining her. "Sorry," Phyro muttered.

"It looks like your baby is fine."

The girl seemed almost crest fallen. She bit down on her lower lip and asked in a quivering voice, "I'm really tired, is it okay if I stay here with you?"

Gaia nodded. "Just let me bandage your wounds and you can sleep on the loft, at least for the time being."

Grabbing some bandages and ointment out of a cupboard, Gaia bound the young lady's wounds and asked her one final question. "What's your name?"

"Sophila."

"I'm Gaia."


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

Gaia let Sophila sleep, Phyro offering to stay with her, and went back to see if her wedding crowd was still in the Quad. Everyone had dispersed, the sun now dipping into the horizon. Leon sat alone at a chair, the area around him quite messy, a few people  
who work in the nearby shops helping clean up. Gaia took a chair next to Leon and sighed. Cicada's cries filled the evening air and a slight breeze ruffled the leaves of trees.

"Is that girl alright?" Leon asked. The lamp light gave his hair a tinge of red at the edges, making the lines of his face mildly harsher, the shadows deeper. It reminded Gaia of the first night they met, how long had it been since then? Two years?

"Yeah, she's alright. It'lljust take a few days for her cuts to heal. She's staying in the loft right now. The poor girl didn't want to stay at the hospital," Gaia leaned her head on Leon's shoulder.

"Well, I hope all the commotion didn't ruin your big day." Gaia could hear the grin on Leon's face. Looking up, she could see his white teeth and ruddy cheeks. Seeing him smile still made her heart twist. He looked so good when he smiled. Gaia leaned  
back into him, his arm going instinctively around her shoulders.

"It was your big day too. I know how happy it made you."

"Of course I was happy. I love you." Leon stroked her arm.

Gaia smiled. "I love you too."

* * *

Maya yawned in Gaia's arms as they walked home. The night was warm, a breeze blowing Gaia's hair in her face. Crickets chirped on the side of the road.

"Are you glad we came back?" Leon asked.

"Of course, we'd be dead if we hadn't."

"Maybe, but you would still have your ovaries."

Gaia sighed. She felt that twist behind her heart again. "I just need time, I'll be alright."

"I'll take your word for it."

They arrived at their home to find Phyro at the doorstep. He stood when they reached the stairs. "Sophila said she wanted some alone time, so I came out here."

"How long ago was this?" Leon asked.

"About three minutes."

"Gaia, get in there."

"Why? Leon, is there something wrong?" Gaia asked.

"It's just a hunch."

Gaia gave Maya to Leon and ran inside. Inside, Sophila was no where to be seen. "Sophila, where are you?" Gaia checked the loft, their bedroom, and bathroom with no sign of the girl. Looking quickly into the backyard, Gaia saw her curled up in the grass.  
"Sophila, are you alright?"

"I don't know."

"Does it hurt anywhere?" Gaia asked. "Is something the matter?"

"I just... needed to use the bathroom?"

"What were you coming out here for?"

"I wanted to see the stars."

"I thought you had to go to the bathroom."

The girl cast her eyes to the ground caught in her lie. She stammered a few times before giving up. Gaia sighed. "Come on, let's get you back inside and I can get you something to eat. Does that sound good?"

Sophila nodded her head and Gaia lead her back inside. When she'd seated her and gone to the kitchen, Leon came and stood beside her.

"Did Phyro go home?" Gaia asked him.

"Yeah," Leon replied. "You find the girl outside."

Gaia nodded. "Not sure why."

"Maybe she was trying to run away," Leon suggested.

"Why?"

"Who knows."


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry I haven't been writing much lately. Life has been hectic and I've been going through a bad bought of depression, which makes it hard to write. I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 3

"Leon why would she be trying to run away?" Gaia asked. They were seated on their bed, getting ready for the night. Maya was curled up between them. The night air was cool, the net keeping the mosquitoes out draped around the bed.

"Like I said before, I don't know." Leon sighed. He smoothed back Maya's hair with one hand, the other draped over his leg.

"She seemed almost... upset when she found out her baby was alright," Gaia admitted, keeping her voice low in case the girl was still awake.

"That doesn't seem right," Leon stated, getting that look on his face.

"Oh no."

"What?" Leon asked.

"You've got the look on your face." Gaia lifted the covers and climbed into bed.

"What look?" Leon seemed genuinely perplexed.

"The one that says you aren't going to drop this. You're going to prod and poke and question the poor girl until you both go insane."

"I don't have a look," Leon defended, climbing beneath the covers as well.

"You don't see your face as often as I do. Trust me, you have a look."

Leon grunted his disagreement, but gave up.

* * *

The next morning, Gaia awoke before Leon and decided to start breakfast. She walked into the living area to find Sophila sitting cross legged on the back porch.

"Are you doing alright?" Gaia asked.

The girl sighed. "I'm alright, I guess."

Something about the girl seemed off. Gaia looked her over once more. The girl was pretty with long, dark hair that fell about her shoulders in waves. She had high cheekbones and full, heart-shaped lips. She was short and slender, or would have been if  
she weren't pregnant. She was still wearing the tattered white nightgown that she'd arrived in. Her hair was oily and her face dirty. She needed a bath and a change of clothes desperately. She might fit Gaia's clothes, but Gaia was taller and fuller  
framed.

"How about some breakfast and a bath?" Gaia asked her.

The girl simply nodded.

After breakfast, Gaia filled a tub with water and kicked Leon out of the house. The girl undressed and stepped into the warm water. Gaia could see the full extent of the girl's injuries. Her back was covered in scars and bruises. Gashes criss-crossed  
across her back. They reminded Gaia of something, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She helped clean the girl up and dressed Sophila in one of her old dresses. It was slightly large and too long, but it was better than what she came in.

"Thank you," the girl stammered. "You've done so much for me."

"It was no problem. You can stay here as long as you like." Gaia sighed. "Who hurt you?"

The girl's eyes darkened as she remembered. Gaia could see the tears welling up. "Never mind," Gaia reassured her, "it doesn't matter. You're safe now. Nobody will hurt you anymore."

A slight knock came from the door. "Is anybody home?" A voice called from the entryway. Phyro.

"Come in Phyro, it's alright."

Phryo came striding into the house, his face was smudged and his fingers oily. "Sorry for the appearance, I just came back from my parent's shop."

Phyro helped his family make fireworks and other explosive things. Gaia wasn't sure why he was so infatuated with explosives, but that was his business not hers.

"Will you stay in here with Sophila, I'm going to check on Maya and Leon in the backyard." Gaia left the two and made her way to the back door.

Maya was in Leon's lap, attempting to shove a fistful of grass and dirt in her mouth, while Leon did his best to restrain her. He had both her arms gripped and struggled to keep her hands out of her mouth, but she kept picking grass. Eventually she got  
frustrated and threw the grass at him, giggling.

Gaia laughed. Leon was still so good with her. It made her sad because Leon was never going to get to do this with his own children.

"You two okay back here?" Gaia called.

"We're fine. How's Sophila?"

"Much better after a bath and a change of clothes, but something is still off. She just won't talk to me. Phyro is with her right now."

Leon drew his brows together. "We'll have to keep a close eye on her."


End file.
